A SISTER led 62 family and friends on a 28-mile ‘Walk of Life’ from Manchester to Oswaldtwistle in memory of her 20-year-old brother.

Nicola McMurray-Devenney, 32, organised the event in honour of Mark McMurray, of Brookside View, Oswaldtwistle, who died in February 2007 after a three-year battle with leukaemia.

The former Rhyddings Business and Enterprise Schoolboy was diagnosed with the disease aged 17 while working as an apprentice at JDS Trucks, Blackburn, and was treated the Christie Hospital, Manchester.

Company director Nicola, who is married with two children, belie-ves the walkers have raised up to £10,000 in sponsorship for the hospital so far.

She said: “It was a long walk and it was a struggle. At times it was really, really hard.

“Some of the lads including two of Mark’s best friends, Paul Harrison and Liam Maguire, ran it in about six hours.

“I did it in about seven-and-a-half and when I finished me and my friend Karen Nash were in tears. But we were absolutely buzzing because we had all achieved something we had never done before. It’s the best thing I have ever done in my life.” Starting from the Christie around 7.20am on Sunday, the group finished their trek at Stanhill Working Men’s Club, where they enjoyed a buffet and received a medal and cert-ificate.

Nicola said: “Mark went through everything with The Christie. They were not just nurses and doctors, they became friends.

“Their care and the way they looked after him was second to none. The staff there are fantastic.”

The walk was part of the first Christie’s Week, a fundraising push running until Saturday.

Nicola is also hosting a charity evening at Blackburn Rovers’ ground on Saturday, October 24, with four-course meal, a stand-up comedy – tickets (£35) from Nicola on 07717 882 370.